After 1-2-3 first innings fired by both starters, lefty Dalton Shoemake and righty Jack Perkins, Brunson hit a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left-center field to put WKU ahead 1-0 with two outs in the top of the second.
But back came the Cardinals with a three-spot in the bottom of that inning against Shoemake to take a 3-1 lead, including a two-run homerun down the left-field line by reigning ACC Hitter of the Week Alex Binelas.
Following a scoreless third frame fired by both Perkins and freshman righty Hunter Crosby, the Hilltoppers began the top of the fourth with a rally. Right fielder Jack Wilson struck out, but reached on a wild pitch on strike three, then center fielder Jake Sanford followed with an eight-pitch walk.
First baseman Matt Phipps came up next, and struck a double off the top of the wall in left-center field that scored Wilson, moved Sanford to third base and knocked Perkins out of the game.
Shortstop Kevin Lambert greeted righty reliever Bryan Hoeing with a sac fly that scored Sanford and moved Phipps the third, then Brunson chopped a single over the third baseman's head to bring home Phipps and give WKU a 4-3 lead.
The visitors would be held scoreless the rest of the way, however, as the Cardinals tallied three in the fourth and fifth, and then another two runs in the seventh.
Topper Notes
- Brunson's homerun was his first of the season and second of his career on The Hill. The senior's first long ball came on May 6, 2018, at Charlotte and was also a solo shot. The Champaign, Ill., native went 2-for-4 in the game with two runs batted in, posting his seventh multi-hit game of the season and third multi-RBI game of his career.
- Righties Eric Crawford and Maddex Richardson posted scoreless outings for the Hilltoppers. Crawford completed 1.1 frames and side-skirted four baserunners along the way. Richardson posted a zero in the bottom of the eighth, stranding a pair of two-out hits in scoring position.
- Sanford started in center field for the fourth-consecutive game in place of injured freshman Jackson Swiney. The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, native posted a season-high eight put-outs and recorded his fifth outfield assist of the year in the fifth inning. The junior went 0-for-3, but his walk in the fourth frame pushed his on-base streak to 28 straight games.
Topper Quotes
- "The numbers they were putting up with the velocities of their pitchers were tremendous; they have a very good pitching staff. We don't see that all the time, but we stood in there and battled and put some good swings on it today. They pitched well, hit well and played well tonight, that's a very good club." — Head coach John Pawlowski.
- "The scoreboard might not indicate it, but our guys played hard. Our guys competed, they always have and they always will continue to get after it. This team has faced a lot of injuries, but we have faced it tremendously and with poise." — Head coach John Pawlowski.
- "Offensively I thought we did a pretty good job, a lot of guys swung the bats well but didn't get the results we wanted on some hard-hit balls right at the defense ... [On my homerun] I was looking for a fastball in a certain spot and I got a pitch over the plate and I put a good swing on it." — Senior Nick Brunson.
- "I think the guys we have in right now are doing tremendous jobs and stepping up big for us. They're coming in and whatever coach asks them to do, they do it to the best of their abilities." — Senior Nick Brunson.
Up Next
WKU hosts Rice for the three-game Conference USA series from May 3-5, a Friday-to-Sunday set at Nick Denes Field. Game times are set for 5 p.m., 1 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. The Hilltoppers defeated the Owls 2-to-1 in last season's matchup in Houston at Reckling Park. With an 11-9-1 league record, WKU trails third-place Rice — who is 12-9 — by 1/2 a game. Louisiana Tech stands in fourth place, also with a 12-9 mark, but was swept by the Owls last week.
